Small digital marketing agencies play an ever more pivotal role in assisting businesses to establish a strong online presence. Despite their small size, these agencies can offer an impressive range of services: marketing and advertising, branding, web development, design, SEO, PR, market research, and consultancy services. Keeping up in these fast-developing fields is a challenge, but for digital agencies, it’s a must. At White Label Agency, we’ve helped over 600 digital agencies with WordPress outsourcing and are well-placed to shed light on what it takes to remain competitive in web development projects. I interviewed Laura, one of our Project Managers at White Label Agency, to learn from her extensive experience and knowledge of managing WordPress projects: What are the essential web development skills for managing a WordPress development project?
Agency readiness in managing WordPress projects
Drawing from her leadership at one of our five development branches at WLA, Laura delves into the overarching challenges agencies face when managing WordPress projects: “One of the most vital aspects of successful project management for us at White Label lies in maintaining effective communication with clients.”
Establishing clear channels of communication allows a development team to gather all the necessary information, keys, and credentials at an early stage, thus ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow throughout the project. An open line of communication also facilitates understanding the client’s vision and expectations, enabling the team to deliver results that align perfectly with the client’s requirements.
Laura continues, “As a white label agency, our diverse client base includes individuals with strong technical expertise, as well as those who excel in sales and client communication but lack technical skills. Our primary focus is to provide support to all our clients, regardless of their proficiency level.
To bridge the gap between our technical team and clients, our sales department actively engages in understanding, evaluating, and asking the right questions on behalf of the clients. This internal collaboration ensures that every technical aspect is explained in the most accessible manner, fostering a clear and smooth communication channel.
While we primarily use text messages, emails, and other communication channels, we also encourage open conversations with our clients. Establishing a strong understanding level is essential to delivering exceptional results that align with our client’s vision and objectives.
We firmly believe that the success of our clients directly reflects our success as an agency. Hence, we are dedicated to addressing any challenges or concerns our clients encounter throughout the project journey. Our commitment to empowering clients with the right technical knowledge and support is at the core of our approach.”
In addition to communication, Laura raises timeliness as a further challenge. At WLA we typically turnover a new website build within one week of developer time. Only a quarter of our builds require two weeks of developer time, and 15% longer than that. All sites are delivered to the customer on schedule, in line with our timeliness guarantee. To work constantly under such time constraints, while guaranteeing a high level of quality, can put a development team under immense pressure. Meeting deadlines in this way requires more than just reliable developers. It requires experienced project management, extra resources on hand where developers fall behind schedule, well-functioning routines for procurement and training — the entire agency needs a level of readiness.
Finally, Laura points out how challenging it can be for a design and development team to ensure site responsiveness across different devices. Websites need to be flexible enough to adapt to an ever-growing number of screen sizes and resolutions. As well as display, it’s about providing a good user experience. Designers need to work a lot with the content while developers must be familiar with the latest tools and techniques.
Essential technical skills for project managers
Beyond the collective capabilities of the agency, the skills and firsthand expertise of the project manager can play a crucial role, often dictating the success of a project. Let’s examine some of the skills that Laura raised in our interview.
Possessing an understanding of web development skills is the foundation. WordPress proficiency encompasses comprehensive knowledge of themes, plugins, and the platform’s architecture, enabling seamless project execution and informed decision-making.
Having a basic grasp of fundamental web development languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP is highly advantageous. This knowledge facilitates effective communication with developers, bridging the gap between technical and non-technical team members.
For instance, let’s say the project manager is working on a WordPress website redesign. Having a basic knowledge of HTML allows them to communicate specific design changes more effectively. They can pinpoint the exact sections of the website that need modification, making the developer’s job easier and streamlining the entire process.
Furthermore, understanding CSS empowers the project manager to discuss styling preferences with the development team in a more precise manner. They can suggest changes to font sizes, colors, or layout adjustments, ensuring that the client’s vision is accurately translated into the final product.
Moreover, JavaScript proficiency enables the project manager to comprehend the possibilities and limitations of adding dynamic elements to the website. They can have informed discussions with developers about incorporating interactive features, like image sliders or pop-up modals, to enhance user experience and engage visitors effectively.
Lastly, having a grasp of PHP assists project managers in comprehending the backend logic and functionality of WordPress. This knowledge enables them to collaborate more efficiently with developers during the integration of custom functionalities or plugin modifications. For example, they can provide detailed requirements for creating a custom contact form or implementing an e-commerce solution that aligns precisely with the client’s needs.
Project planning and management skills are the backbone of successful WordPress projects. Breaking down tasks and allocating resources efficiently ensures a well-structured workflow. By setting achievable milestones and realistic timelines, project managers keep projects on track, meet deadlines and exceed client expectations.
Ensuring quality and staying up to date
In a landscape where technology and user expectations evolve rapidly, a dual focus on maintaining quality while staying abreast of the latest developments is paramount for a WordPress project manager. Laura notes:
“As a project manager, ensuring the quality of our WordPress projects is my top priority. The vital role of Quality Assurance (QA) lies at the heart of delivering exceptional results. Pixel-perfect design, adaptive resolution, and cross-browser testing are key components of the QA process that I emphasize to ensure flawless project outcomes. By meticulously aligning every website element and verifying its appearance across various devices, I strive to deliver visually stunning and polished end products. Moreover, cross-browser testing guarantees that the website functions flawlessly for all users, regardless of their chosen browser, ensuring a seamless user experience.”
Essential web development skills for the project manager include a strong focus on Quality Assurance, ensuring meticulous attention to detail in pixel-perfect design, adaptive resolution, and cross-browser testing. Effective communication, adaptability, and proactivity are key to collaborating with teams and staying updated with emerging trends. Time and resource management, client focus, and problem-solving abilities are vital for delivering exceptional outcomes and meeting project milestones.
Staying up to date with evolving digital technologies is important for successful project management. Laura adds: “From my perspective as a project manager, staying ahead of WordPress trends and advancements is essential to provide clients with top-notch services and solutions. We prioritize using well-known and reliable plugins, minimizing the risk of compatibility issues and vulnerabilities, and empowering clients with robust features. To cater to client’s evolving needs, we proactively adapt to emerging trends and demands. Periodic theme improvements demonstrate our dedication to meeting clients’ unique preferences, and we readily embrace innovations like Gutenberg to offer the latest features and an intuitive editing experience. Keeping a keen eye on official WordPress updates and announcements allows our team to continuously enhance our skills and deliver cutting-edge solutions, ensuring our clients enjoy the best possible WordPress experience.”
In conclusion, possessing the right web development skills is essential for project managers in effectively managing projects within small development agencies. From overseeing Quality Assurance (QA) processes and ensuring meticulous attention to design and functionality, to adeptly communicating with teams and staying abreast of emerging trends, these skills form the basis of successful project execution. With a focus on adaptability, time management, and client satisfaction, project managers can deliver exceptional outcomes that meet and exceed client expectations, solidifying their agency’s reputation as a reliable and proficient partner in the world of web development.
In the dynamic landscape digital marketing agencies face, successful WordPress project management is not just about knowing the technicalities — it’s about synthesizing technical knowledge with exceptional communication, time management, and adaptability. Whether it’s ensuring pixel-perfect designs through rigorous Quality Assurance or maintaining open channels of communication with diverse clients, a project manager’s multifaceted role is central to the successful execution of web projects. By combining an in-depth understanding of web development skills with the agility to stay ahead of emerging trends and a commitment to client satisfaction, project managers can elevate the outcomes of every project. Those who best merge these skills will be the driving force behind successful, forward-thinking digital marketing agencies.
Is your digital marketing agency in search of an outsourcing partner with a proven track record in managing WordPress website development projects? At White Label Agency, we have delivered over 10,000 websites to over 600 agencies, and we offer a range of related services, including maintenance, dedicated developer rental and design. If you are interested in partnering with us to complete an individual project, or to try our subscription services, don’t hesitate to contact our sales team.
